The world thoroughly enjoyed watching the best players perform at the World Cup this summer, but in the United States, soccer interest typically dips after the World Cup.
That's understandable, but new club seasons are set to begin all around the globe, and if you want to keep up with players you just learned about, we're here to help.
Here's a look at where World Cup stars — including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, and Folarin Balogun — will be playing in the upcoming season.
World Cup Stars and Their Teams
Lionel Messi
Yes, he's 39 years old, and this was (are we sure?) his last World Cup, but he's not retiring anytime soon, and if you watched the tournament, there's no doubt why.
The MLS season is already underway, and Lionel Messi plays for the defending champions, Inter Miami. The team is second in the Eastern Conference with 34 points, just behind Nashville.
After scoring eight goals and handing out four assists while leading Argentina to the World Cup Final, Messi is back in his hometown, Rosario, to rest and share time with his family.
He will return to practice in early August, and his first game back will most likely be the opening Leagues Cup match against San Luis (August 5).
Kylian Mbappe
The first player to win the Golden Boot twice (and in a row) and the new all-time World Cup top goalscorer, Kylian Mbappe, will be urged to pick up some silverware with his team, as opposed to just racking up individual awards.
Mbappe's dream was to play for Real Madrid, and he's accomplished that, but incredibly enough, the Champions League trophy is still a career debt, and he has watched his former team, Paris Saint-Germain, win it in consecutive seasons right after his departure.
LaLiga will start on August 15, but Real Madrid will play its first official game on August 22 against Espanyol. Along with Mbappe, you can also follow other Real Madrid World Cup standouts like Jude Bellingham, Marc Cucurella, and Vinicius Jr.
Erling Haaland
He really enjoyed his time at the World Cup and in the United States, taking home great memories and a stuffed raccoon.
Erling Haaland showed not only his quirky personality but his trademark finishing skills, with seven goals and a memorable late-game performance against Brazil to lead Norway to the quarterfinals.
He now returns to Manchester City, where he's been the Premier League's top goalscorer in three of his four seasons.
The Premier League opens on August 21, but the Citizens will begin their journey on August 23 vs Bournemouth.
Lamine Yamal
Spain won the World Cup, as many predicted, even with Lamine Yamal unable to show his full potential.
He was hampered by a nagging injury to start the tournament, but back with Barcelona, he will look to return to his best form and will have the added confidence that only world champions possess.
Yamal's club is also the current LaLiga title holder, and they will play their first match on August 23 against Elche.
At Barcelona, you can also follow World Cup Young Player Award winner Pau Cubarsi and Spain's World Cup Final hero Ferran Torres.
Folarin Balogun
His striking performance at the World Cup, with three goals for the USMNT, made Folarin Balogun a household name.
You can follow him at Monaco in the French Ligue 1, which will return to action on August 21.
However, Monaco will play their first game on August 23 against Le Havre.
In the 2025-26 season, Balogun had 13 goals and four assists in Ligue 1, finishing on a hot streak with nine of those goals in the final 12 games. He also scored five goals in 10 Champions League matches.
Harry Kane
England's hopes crashed in the final minutes of their semifinal match against Argentina, but they bounced back with a great performance in an entertaining third-place match, a 6-4 victory over France.
Captain Harry Kane tallied six goals and was an integral part of England's great run at the World Cup.
Kane is one of the top candidates for the Ballon d'Or, and he continues to score at a great pace at Bayern Munich, where you can also follow World Cup assists leader Michael Olise.
The Bundesliga starts on August 28, with Bayern Munich facing off against Stuttgart.
Ousmane Dembele
Current Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele was another French World Cup standout, as he scored six goals and added two assists.
He remains the central piece of PSG, the back-to-back Champions League winners, who will begin their season vs Rennes on August 23.
